Most students are in school for over 3,600 minutes a day—or longer if they have a seventh or eighth period. The problem? Academic rigor isn’t met with the energy or attention necessary to effectively learn. The reason is sleep deprivation that no one can successfully compensate for with sugary, caffeinated beverages or after-school naps. All of us have heard that we need nine to 9 ½ hours of sleep. That opening an energy drink is definitely not the way to go. Yet … why do we treat these warnings with indifference?

Pediatrician Michael Crocetti explains that “teenagers are going through a second developmental stage of cognitive maturation”—something that sleep deprivation actually prevents from happening smoothly. So when we realize that exhaustion shouldn’t be a long-term experience, why don’t we take action to protect our mental and physical health?

It’s not that teens are reckless or stubborn. According to psychologist Bill Crawford from the University of Houston, we don’t look at burnout warning signs or take trusted adult advice because this is our era of self-discovery.

As a result, we’re constantly making choices based on trial and error, which allow us to identify the flaws in our choices and steer toward a new decision. It’s important to realize that this is why we have a tendency to view gentle advice as pointed criticism given by people who supposedly “don’t get it.” However, we need to allow the adults we trust to guide us in the right direction when we begin to waver.

Here are some ways to fix your sleep schedule. These strategies are meant to be a gentle wake-up call that presents realistic steps you can take toward achieving your full nine hours. The first thing to realize is that your health is the ultimate priority. If you’re drowning in homework assignments and nearing deadlines, the only way to break the cycle is by prioritizing a change in your sleep schedule. Choose a Monday night; aim to go to sleep around 10-11 p.m.. Once you start getting closer to the nine hours, you’ll notice that the naps are no longer necessary, which means you can spend more time getting all of your work done earlier. Also, changing your mindset from relying on motivation to relying on discipline will make time management and efficient work blocks easier to enforce.

If you find that the problem isn’t an overwhelming to-do list but rather endless hours of doom-scrolling, try keeping your phone away from your study and sleep space, turn on do-not-disturb mode or set realistic screen-time limits.

Remember that any change to your routine will take time, so break up those overwhelming goals into smaller pieces and slowly advance to the finish line. You’ll find that the single goal of bettering your sleep schedule will help you improve not just as a student, but as an individual who can prioritize their well-being and life goals at the same time.